The president was particularly stirred by the release of transcripts of House Judiciary Committee interviews with FBI lawyer Lisa Page over whether the bureau had an “insurance policy” against Mr Trump’s election, the existence of which agent Peter Strzok appeared to suggest in a series of anti-Trump text messages exchanged with Ms Page during the 2016 campaign.

“This is a total disgrace and should NEVER happen to another President!” Mr Trump tweeted after the development was given extensive coverage by Fox News, taking the story as further evidence of the “witch hunt” against him represented by Mr Mueller's Russia probe and the string of investigations into his affairs launched by House Democrats.